Herbert Samuel

Herbert Samuel, 1st Viscount Samuel (6 November 1870-5 February 1963) was Leader of the Liberal Party from 4 November 1931 to 26 November 1935, succeeding David Lloyd George and preceding Archibald Sinclair. He was the first practicing Jew to serve as a cabinet minister and to lead a major party.

Biography
Herbert Samuel was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, England in 1870, and was educated at Oxford. He was elected to Parliament for the Liberal Party to represent Cleveland in 1902, and entered the Cabinet in 1909 as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. He was Foreign Secretary under H.H. Asquith in 1916, but refused to serve under David Lloyd George. He lost his seat in 1918, and was high commissioner of Mandatory Palestine from 1920 to 1925. From 1925 to 1926, he headed the Royal Commission on the coal industry. He returned to Parliament in 1929 and, as Liberal leader, was Foreign Secretary in the National Government from 1931 to 1932. He resigned in protest against the protectionist Ottawa Agremeents, and lost his seat in 1935. He died in 1963.